As previously reported, SunTrust upgraded Lionsgate (LGF.B) to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $31 from $28. Analyst Matthew Thornton said expectations into the Q4 report were cautious as evidenced by the stock reaction to earnings, despite FY18 OIBDA guidance that was 3% below consensus. Now that FY18 OIBDA, Motion Pictures, and TV Production expectations have been re-based, Thornton believes estimates are now achievable, and said Starz's upcoming original releases should help sub growth near-term. The analyst said deleveraging is ahead of plan and could result in buybacks in FY19, and continues to expect ongoing consolidation of content and distribution, making Lionsgate a target given its assets and size.

06/27/17

DBAB

06/27/17INITIATIONTarget $29DBABHold

Lionsgate initiated with a Hold at Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft started Lionsgate Class A (LGF.A) shares with a Hold rating and $29 price target. The analyst views consensus estimates as too high but sees potential upside through consolidation.

06/27/17

06/27/17INITIATION

On The Fly: Top five analyst initiations

Catch up on today's top five analyst initiations with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. JPMorgan analyst Alex Yao resumed coverage of Alibaba (BABA) Group with an Overweight rating and $190 price target following a period of restriction. The rating is unchanged and the price target is raised from $140. 2. SunTrust analyst Terry Tillman initiated Salesforce (CRM) with a Buy and a $110 price target and views its as a core holding for large-cap investors. 3. Citi analyst Joel Beatty started Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) with a Buy rating and $23 price target. 4. Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft started Lionsgate Class A (LGF.A) shares with a Hold rating and $29 price target. 5. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Louise Chen assumed coverage of Amarin (AMRN) with an Overweight rating and $10 price target. This list is just a portion of The Fly's full analyst coverage. To see The Fly's full Street Research coverage, click here.

07/21/17

07/21/17NO CHANGE

Lionsgate price target raised to $36 from $29 at Loop Capital

Loop Capital analyst David Miller said that while Lionsgate shares have grinded higher as the company "continues to do what it has always done very well," he also has confidence that it is well ahead of plan on Starz synergies and that it has potential from "second-window" sales of streaming rights and orders from OTT platforms. Miller raised his price target on Lionsgate B shares to $36 from $29 and keeps a Buy rating on the name.

LGF.BLionsgate

$26.93

-0.16 (-0.59%)

05/19/17

RBCM

05/19/17NO CHANGERBCM

CBS is predator and prey,' says RBC Capital

As the situation deteriorates for media companies due to accelerating cord cutting and weak ad trends, RBC Capital analyst Steven Cahall thinks that companies in the sector will look to consolidate.He believes that CBS (CBS) could buy Lionsgate (LGF.A,LGF.B) in a deal that would be 5% accretive and be viewed favorably by the market or the TV network could be acquired by Verizon (VZ). However, the analyst thinks the most likely scenario is an acquisition of Viacom (VIAB) by CBS.

05/30/17

05/30/17NO CHANGE

Lionsgate shares likely to rerate after earnings, says RBC Capital

RBC Capital analyst Steven Cahall says that Lionsgate's better than expected Q4 results and guidance for adjusted OIBDA growth in the teen percentage levels has made investors more aware of and confident in the stock. He expects the shares to rerate and keeps a $32 price target and Outperform rating on the shares.

Jefferies analyst Randal Konik upgraded Planet Fitness (PLNT) to Buy from Hold and raised his price target for the shares to $75 from $49. The stock closed yesterday at $58.25. Planet Fitness is a platform for consumer aggregation "with tenets that resemble Amazon's successful model," Konik tells investors in a research note. Amazon.com's (AMZN) growth benefits from the shift to online consumption while Planet Fitness benefits from a growing wellness trend, contends the analyst. He calls Planet Fitness a platform, not a gym, and recommends looking at the company "through an Amazon prism." Planet Fitness' "attractive" pricing architecture, "large and growing" unit presence, advertising flywheel, expanding affinity network, and enhanced digital strategies "reduce frictional points with consumers, drive engagement, and widen the company's moat," Konik argues. He believes the company's valuation is justified with other platforms such as Amazon and Netflix (NFLX).